Refrigeration



Jan. 6, 1931. F. D. PELTI ER ET AL REFRIGERATION Filed Dec 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 #:ATTOREY EWPORflTOR COMP/959150,?

Jan. 6, 1931. F. D. PELTIER ET AL, I 1,788,343

REFRIGERATION Filed Dec. 5, 1926 SSheets-Sheet 2 m Q N \o 3 3 I Q N i| 1| I ma g I I IWO I '4 l N 0/ I [I 1 I I 1 In. I j l 1 I I a I Il 1 l, a l I I. I I I' Q I l IQ ENTOR I'll My Jan. 6, 1931. F. D. PELTlER ETAL 1,788,343

REFRIGERATION Filed Dec. 3, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 7%; APToRNEY Patented Jan. 6 ll rnenn ionsrao Ezsh S PELTIEE AND GLYDE EDWD PLOEGER, 0F EVANSLE, IN-

DIANA, ASSIGNO BY MEQNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 SERVEL, INC /8F NE YO,

anrarennerron n neauon'nea December a,- ieae. serial in. 152,339.

Our invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to the type of apparatus embodying a closed cycle including compressor, condenser and evaporator.

- Our invention aims at providing a-system for the artificial production of refrigeration which is simple in the. number and construction of parts, the parts of which are of such nature and so devised that theapparatus as a whole is more rugged and less liable to get out of order than previous devices of this class while maintaining a higher eficiency of operation. @ur invention aims to produce a direct and positive flow of refrigerant with advantages accruing thereto while controlling the flow in a manner such that refrigeration is produced in eficient manner indeto evaporation.

pendently of the parts of the system collateral Uur invention consists in apparatus for car rying out the objects above outlined and other objects which will be apparent from the following description, and further, in process carried out by said apparatus. lln apparatus embodying'this invention flow of refrigerant through the evaporation member is preferably in one continuous path whence refrigerant passes into a larger receptacle wherein liquid refrigerant "may be accumulated. Variations of quantity of refrigerant in this receptacle at the outlet from the evaporator, which may be measured by variation of liquid level, are employed to re late the supply of liquid refrigerant to th: ova oration member. We prefer to employ a oat for controlling supply of liquid to the evaporaq tion member because of the durability of operation of a float and because of the advantages obtained from the use of a float in connection with other phases ofour invention, particularly with respect to systems wherein 'a plurality of evaporators are coupledto a single compressor unit.

. The invention is'described with reference to our invention; Flgure 2 is a more or less.

diagrammatic showin of a system embodying the invention an showing a preferred construction of certain parts; Figure 3 is an enlarged view in section of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 2; and hi ure 4 shows a system containing a plurality of controlling the operation of the compressor.

llnterposed in pipe'Eis a valve K which controls flow therethrough." Valve K may be any type of valve which can entirely out 0d flow through pipe E, can allow flow through pipe E, and can regulate flow through pipe E. ,Within receptacle F is a movable member M which is responsive to the quantit of liquid within the receptacle. This is pre erably a float resting'upon the surface of liquid. within rece tacle F. FloatM is connected to valve in any desired manner so that it will control valve .K. To illustrate, float M is shown as attached to a rod 0 which is in turn pivotally connected to the lever Q pivoted at P. The other end of lever Q is pivoted to a rod R which may be considered as the stem of valve K. It is to be understood thatwe do not present this arrange- -ment as apractical solution but are using till) this as an illustration. Float M is connected to valve K in such manner that upon decrease of the quantity of liquid refrlgerant withinre'ceptacle F and consequently upon decrease of level or surface of liquld, which results in a lowering of float M, valve K 1s opened more or less to admit the same or a greater qu'antityof liquid refrigerant into the evaporator from the condenser.. Conversely, upon rise of level of l1qu1-d 1n receptacle F float M rises and moves valve K to decrease flow through conduit E 1n corresponding degree.

It will be noted that the parts of the system ing circulation by gravity.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, a motor 2 drives compressor 3. Compressor 3 receives expanded gaseous refrigerant from conduit 24 and supplies compressed refrigerant through conduit 25 to condenser 4 which may be cooled in any desired manner, either by water or by air. Condenser 4 is connected by means of conduit 7 with a valve member 23 see Fig. 3). Valve member 23 has a central passageway 27 which constitutes a portion of a continuous passageway, a art of which is within the end head 11 of a oat chamber 10,

said passageway being indicated at'26. Pasway 26.

sageway 26 is connected to an evaporator coil 15. Evaporator coil 15 is formed of one continuous pipe and its outlet end is connect ed to a passageway 30 formed within the other head 16 of the float chamber 10, opposite to head 11.

Valve member 23 is screwed into a recess 28 formed in head 11. The restricted end of passage 27 constitutes a valve seat indicated at 31. Valve seat 31 cooperates with a needle valve 22. Recess 28 is formed at right angles to passage 26. Needle valve 22 1s formed on the end of an extended stem 32; Stem 32 is also arranged at right angles to passage- Needle valve 22 is movable in response to variations of level of liquid within ,float chamber 10, which variations of level uid within the float chamber.

are transmitted to the needle valve by means of float 18 resting upon the surface of liq- This movement is transmitted through lever 19, bellcrank 20 and link 21. Float 18 is attached to lever 19 which is in turn attached to bellcrank 20; bell-crank 20 is connected to link 21 and link 21 is in turn connected to stem 32 of the needle valve. Stem 32 passes with relatively loose fit, but at the same time closely, through a passage or bore 34 which connects the inner liquid and vapor space of float chamber 10 with passage 26. The tightness of it may be determined in accordance with the desired balance of leakage and frictional resistance. By arranging the conduit from the condenser to the evaporator in part within head 11, it is possible to control needle 22 and thus control this conduit by a simple arrangement needing no stuffing box nor bellows nor other friction producing or strained part. The amount of leakage along passageway 34 outside stem 32 is of negligible quantity. By permitting this slight leakage, a simple construction is obtained. By

arranging the condenser-evaporator connection in'part within the header, no leakage. is possible from out of the system as a whole,

while at the same time the improved control above illustrated with reference to Fig. 1 is obtained.

Head 11 has an opening 12 for the reception of return conduit 24 which is connected to the intake of the compressor. In conduit 24 is insertedpressure control switch 6 which may be of known type and which starts and .stops the motor upon predetermined rise and fall of suction pressure.

The mode of operation is as follows: Gaseous refrigerant compressed in compressor 3 passes into condenser 4 where it is liquefied and thence passes through conduit 7 and into opening 13, assuming that needle valve 22 is away from seat 31 so that the valve passagev is open. Assuming needle valve 22 to be open, liquid refrigerant passes into coil 15 and a portion thereof is evaporated. Evaporation absorbsheat from the surroundings and produces refrigeration. A mixture of 'vaporous refrigerant and liquid regrigerant passes through opening 17 in head 16 and through passageway 30 into the float chamber. Rise of liquid quantity within the float chamber causes a lifting of float 18 and this operates, through the mechanism above described, to close needle .valve 22 against seat 31 to a greater or less extent, thus diminishing the flow of liquid refrigerant into the evaporator. If needle valve 22 is entirely closed, no liquid refrigerant passes from the condenser into opening 13 and into the evaporator. The compressor at the same time draws vapor through opening 12 and some of the liquid within float chamberlO evaporates thus lowering the liquid level therein. The float 18 is consequently lowered and needle'valve 22 again moves further. from seat 31 to permit entry of liquid refrigerant into the evaporator) Float 18 thus operates to maintains. constant or substantially constant level within float chamber 10.

Referring more particularly to Figure 4, the apparatus described above is shown in arran ement suitable for use in connection with Y a p urality of evaporators. As shown, one condenser is employed but it is to be understood that a separate condenser may be employed for each evaporator, or two evaporators supplied from one condenser and one evaporator from another condensor, or any such combinations of condensors and'evap-. orators may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. Also, any number of evaporators may be used, the number three. mentioned above being a convenient one for-illustration.

'veaaee Compressed gaseous refrigerant leaves the compressor through pipe 25, is liquified in condenser 4 and passes into pipe 5. During its passage through pipe 5 the liquid refrigerant divides and passes through the various pipes denoted by reference character 7. From conduits 7 the refrigerant passes through respective float actuated expansion valves, evaporators 15 and float chambers 10 in the same manner as previously described with reference to a single evaporator system. The amount of liquid refrigerant entering each evaporator coil through the expansion valve used in connection with that coil is dependent on the liquid level in the float chamber of that float actuated expansion valve and is independent of the liquid level in any of the other float chambers or of any other conditions existing in the system.

The vaporous refrigerant after leaving the float chamber 10 passes through the respective pipes 24 to a common return pipe 14 which is connected to the suction side of the compressor. Interposed in thispipe 14 may be the pressure control switch 6 used to start and stop the motor at predetermined varia-.

tions of pressure in the suction line.

It is to be understood that we are not limited to the modifications shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim is:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a float chamber having an inner liquid and. vapor space and comprising a bounding section having a passageway through the same, both ends of said passageway terminating outside said space, a bore connecting said space with said passageway, a restriction in said passageway in line with said bore, a stem passing through said bore, a valve attached to said stem arranged to cooperate with said restriction to determine flow through said passageway and means within said spacefor moving said stem within said bore, said chamber comprising a single shell so that liquid therein is in direct heat transmitting relationship with the medium surroundin the shell and may be heated by the surroun ing medium.

2. A refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a condenser, a valve, an evaporator and a chamber into which said evaporator discharges, said compressor, condenser, valve, evaporator and chamber being connected in seriesin the order mentioned and means for controlling said valve in response to variations of liquid level in said chamber, said chamber comprising a single shell so that liquid therein is indirect heat transmitting relationship with the medium surroundingthe shell and may be heated by the surrounding medium.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a float chamber having an inner liquid and evaporator space and comprising a bounding section having a passageway within the same, said passageway having an inlet and an outlet, both said inlet and outlet being outside said space, means to supply liquid refrigerant to said inlet, an evaporator conduit connecting said outlet with said space and valve mechanism within said bounding section for controlling flow through said passageway in accordance with variations of liquid level in said space, said chamber comprising a single shell so that .liquid therein is in direct heat transmitting relationship with the medium surrounding the shell and may be heated by the surrounding medium.

4. lln a refrigeratin apparatus, in combination, a float cham er having an inner liquid and evaporator space and comprising a bounding section having a passageway through the same, both ends of said passageway terminating outside said space, a bore connecting said space with said passageway, a restriction in said passageway in line with said bore, a stem passing through said bore, a valve attached to said stem arranged to cooperate with said restriction to determine flow through said passageway, a float within said space and a connection between said float and said stem, said chamber comprising a single shell so that liquid therein is in direct heat transmitting relationship with the medium surrounding the shell and may be heated 'by the surrounding medium.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afi'iX our signatures.

FRANK DESNOYERS PELTIER.

CLYDE EDWARD PLOEGER. 

